Turns out my doubts were ill-founded: 667788 is a blast. The promo describes LOMMI as traditional/groove metal, and while this isn’t the first style that popped into my head when I pressed play, it’s also not inaccurate. They rely on heavy, low-tuned guitars and chunky bass riffs to lay down infectious grooves. The bass line on “Down” carries strong influences of Pantera’s groove classic “Walk,” if Pantera were stoner doom. Stoner doom, to my ears, best describes their sound. The opening guitars on “Sayonara” bring to mind a cleaner, less fuzzy High on Fire, and the epic riffs and cymbal-drenched percussion on “Rather” conjure The Sword. They also sprinkle a little blues and a not-insignificant pinch of grunge, from Alice in Chains to Stone Temple Pilots. I can’t help but think of “Vaseline” when Jens Florén sings “There’s a fly in my room and it keeps me awake” on “Wish.”
While this might make them sound like a clumsily cobbled-together Frankensteinian monster, LOMMI plays with a high level of swagger. This swagger is apparent when Florén cackles on “Sayonara” and throws out a “yeah!” here and there. It’s also there in his thick and meaty guitar riffs, such as those that open the raucous “Blood Moon.” Florén’s voice evokes the spirit of Lemmy from Motorhead and his riffs carry the energy of Rob Zombie. He’s not the only source of the swagger, though. Dennis Österdal’s other band, Transport League, may have been trashed by Grier six years ago, but his bass serves as the backbone on “Down” and “Children,” adding healthy doses of heft and groove. To quote the BFG, that blues-y bass line on “Children” is “scrumdiddlyumptious.” Jörgen Tjusling proves a formidable presence behind the kit. He sets a disciplined, mid-tempo pace, though he occasionally goes ape-wild on the cymbals. There’s a moment on the back half of “Sayonara” where he summons Black Sabbath a lá “War Pigs.”
From the simple song titles to the tight songwriting, this trio seeks to prove the mantra that “less is more,” no matter how many times Angry Metal Guy quotes Yngwie Malmsteen’s “more is more” counterpoint. Over 8 songs, LOMMI provides 38 minutes of no-frills, high-octane fun. However, there are a few momentum-killing moments where songs meander with little purpose. Unsurprisingly, these moments occur on the only two tracks that surpass 5 minutes. While “Blood Moon” has some of my favorite riffs, the final few minutes go into freestyle jam session mode, where your mileage may vary. On “Children,” the bookends are terrific, but the middle portion feels like an entirely different, more sluggish song, a rare moment where the band seems unsure how to fill the time. These few minutes are just a minor issue, however, on an otherwise rollicking record.
667788 just may have put LOMMI on the map; at the very least, it put them on my map. It proves not just the prowess of the individual performers, but their songwriting acumen. Despite their limited credentials, they play as if they were masters of the craft, and that’s saying something for what is possibly a debut album. This one took me completely by surprise, and it’s one of those records where 750 words just isn’t enough to say everything I want to. Hopefully, it doesn’t take another decade to write the follow-up, but if you put out a record this good, who’s to dispute the process? If you love big riffs and big fun, don’t miss out on these guys.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025
